ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL

THE PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM IPA

 IUPAC

ECONOMIC PRODUCTION

ISOPROPYL
ALCOHOL
HEALTH CHEMICAL
AND SAFETY PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL
USES
PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
ODOUR
SOLUBILITY -STRONG
-SOLUBLE IN ALCOHOL COLOUR
ALL ORGANIC
-COLOURLESS
-INSOLUBLE IN
SALT
MOLAR MASS
BOILING Physical -60.09
POINT
properties
82.50C g mol−1

Fairly
volatile MICSIBLE
evaporates IN WATER
MELTING
easily
POINT
-890C
Dehydrogenation
Oxidation
Etherification
Halogenations

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
PRODUCTION METHOD

Direct
Indirect
USES

 pharmaceutical industry
 Construction field –wood

 Plantation industry –pesticides

 Cosmetics –baby oils, lotions, etc.

 Aerosol –hair spray, detergents, etc.

 Removing sticky residue

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Industry (not harm)

Highly flammable/explode –away
from heat, open flame, ignition
sources and incompatibles
Defect to human skin –use glove
ECONOMICS

roseby 5% to $1240/tonne from

$1200/tonne in mid-April
Geo Chem Trading located in
Penang Port, Butterworth Penang.
 INPUT (RAW MATERIAL)

-SULPHURIC ACIDS
- PROPYLENE GAS

REACTION OF UNABSORBED
SULPHURIC ACID WITH PROPELYNE GAS-
PROPYLENE RECYCLED

MIXER CHAMBER-
WATER FEED

FLASH ZONE
SEPARATION

MIXING CHAMBER-
WATER FEED

ACID
IPA
RECONCENTRATION
GENERATION
-RECYCLED

DISTILLATION COLUMN
-ETHER COLUMN
-DRIYING COLUMN

OUTPUT
-DIISOPROPYL ETHER
-ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL IN CDM
AND ANHYDROUS
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 1

• Stream 1 (concentrated Sulphuric Acid(60-70

wt%)) + stream 2(Propylene Gases (45wt%))
• Occur in the absorber C100
• Condition for the absorber C100 are:
1. At the pressure 150-300 psig.
2. At temperature 85-1150C.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 2

• Stream 1 + Stream 2 = extract liquid in the absorber

C100.
• Extract liquid consist of :-
1. 40 to 65 wt% of Sulphuric Acid,
2. about 10 to 40 wt% of absorbed Propylene values,
3. balance water ,
4. Absorbed propylene=all molecule in the liquid (propyl
(C3H7), and propylene (C3H6) )
5. IPA at 10-45 wt%,
6. Diisopropyl Ether at 3-6 wt%,

• The extract liquid is withdrawn from the bottom portion of

absorber via Stream 3 to the mixer M100.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 3

• Unabsorbed gas- Propylene gas are withdrawn

and compressed to propylene column by c104 via
stream 4.
• It will refined- produced recovered Propylene Gas
and some Propane.
• The recovered gas-being recycled by stream 5.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 4

• In the mixer M100.

1. Stream 3 mixes with stream 7 which feed with
water.
2. Water is added in an amount from about 1.5 to 6
wt% water, based on the weight of absorbed
Propylene values in the extract liquid.
3. It will make sure the moles of water
stoichiometrically required to form the amount
of Diisopropyl Ether and Isopropyl Alcohol
withdrawn as vapor in the flash vessel C101.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 5

• Flash vessels C101 is operate in the condition of:-

1. At temperature between 80 to 1600C .
2. At pressure from about 5 to 10 psig.
• The overhead products is withdrawn and being compressed by
C101 via stream 10 comprising :-
1. Diisipropyl Ether from about 30 to 50 wt%,
2. Isopropyl Alcohol from about 30 to 40 wt%,
3. Propylene from about 10 to 20 wt%.
• Liquid which is withdrawn from the flash vessel via stream 9
comprises the depleted extract :-
1. Absorbed Propylene - 5 to 35 wt%,
2. Sulphuric acids-45 to 65 wt%,
3. Balance water.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 6

• Depleted extract have 2 portions:-

First portion (40 to 60 wt% of total) will be recycled, pump
by P100 through stream 11 and 1 to absorber C100.
A control valve V100 –increase or decrease liquid flow between
stream 11 and 12 and control Diisopropyl Ether and
Isopropyl Alcohol production.
Second portion is sent to second water mixing zone M101.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 7

• The depleted liquids in stream 12 flow to mixer M101.

• In the mixer M101:-

Depleted extract mixes stream 13 which feed with water (35

to 100 parts by weight of water per part by weight of
absorbed Propylene Values).
The liquid residence time in water mixing zone ranges from
about 1 to 30 minutes.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 8

• The mixture sent via stream 14 to alcohol generator C102

to be heated.
• Direct injection steam at stream 15 to generator.
• Unit operation for Alcohol generator are:-
1. At temperature about 70 to 1300C
2. Pressure about 1 to 5 psig
• Alcohol vapor are formed as overhead product and sent to
scrubber C103 via stream 17-comprised IPA and Diisopropyl
Ether.
• Sulphuric acid about 45 to 55 wt% is withdrawn from lower
portion of alcohol generator to acid concentrator via stream
16.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 9

• Product stream 10 mixed with product in stream 17-

flow to the scrubber C103.
• Product in scrubber have been neutralized using NaOH at
concentration 10 wt% of the alcohol and Sulphuric mixture.
• Unit operation of the Scrubber C103:-
1. At temperature 373K.
2. Pressure 14.7 psi.
• The product at 55 wt% IPA is withdrawn from a lower part to
crude isopropyl alcohol tank F100.
• From the tank, mixture is sent to ether column C105
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 9-continue

• Mixture in F100 will send to ether column C105 via

stream 20.
• Unit operations for Ether column C105 are:-
1. At the temperature 362 K.
2. Pressure 14.7 psi.
• Distillation take place to separate Diisopropyl Ether and
Hexene.
• Diisopropyl Ether is withdrawn to Diisopropyl Column C109.
• Washed to produce washed Ether at 95 wt.%.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 10

• Wet IPA from Ether column C105 will be send to Alcohol

column C106 via stream 22.
• Unit operation for Alcohol Column C106:-
1. At pressure about 3 to 7 atm.

• Azeotroping agent is feed near the top of column C106 via

stream 23 which is produce in drying column C107.
• CBM or azeotropic isopropyl alcohol at 87 wt% is
withdrawn from upper part of alcohol column via stream 24
(product) while water is withdrawn from bottom of column
via stream 25.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 11

• Unit operation for Drying column C107:-

1. At pressure 14.7 psi.
2. Temperature 347 K.

• Product form: Ternery Azeotrope.

• Latter concentrate at head column in concentration about 60%
is piped into condenser.
• Liquefaction of vapor enter decanter F101 to separate the
layers into virtually water-free upper layer and lower layer
containing the residual water.
• The upper layers in F101 (mainly azeotroping agent and
alcohol) is return to the top of column C107.
• While anhydrous Isopropyl Alcohol at 99.8 wt% is removed
from the lower part of column C107 via stream 29.
 PFD DESCRIPTION
STEP 12

• The lower layer in the decanter F101 is mostly water.

• It is fed into stripping column C108.
• Unit operation for Stripping column C108:-
1. a temperature 466K .
2. pressure about 155 psi.
• The waste water in F101 is send to C108 via stream 30
for recovery of Isopropyl Alcohol and azeotroping agent.
• This product is send back into column C107 via stream
31 and waste the water at stream 32.
CONCLUSION
 The indirect process = Propene with sulfuric
acid to form a mixture of sulfate esters and
subsequent hydrolysis will produce isopropyl
alcohol.
 Direct hydration = Propene and water, either
in gas or liquid phases, at high pressures in the
presence of solid or supported acidic catalysts
• Use of IPA in direct solvent applications accounted for 62% of
total IPA demand in 2008.
• Global IPA-based acetone production is expected to decrease
with the increase of phenol capacity (acetone is a coproduct
of phenol by the cumene peroxidation process). Acetone will
be producing after 2010 in Western Europe.
• In 2008, global supply/demand was relatively balanced as
demand decreased because of the weakened global economy.
• The future demand of IPA is expected to remain flat or to
grow slightly.
• Its main usage as a chemical intermediate is growing, and this
should offset the pressure on use as a solvent from tighter
volatile organic chemicals (VOC) regulations